This invention relates to devices for assisting persons in swimming that include fins or other devices for fastening to a swimmer""s limbs to improve the power and efficiency of swimming motions.
A variety of different devices have been developed to make swimming easier and to increase a swimmer""s speed and control. Among these are swim fins that include a shoe-like receptacle for the feet and an enlarged fin fastened to the shoe to aid in leg kick propulsion. Webbed gloves and the like have been used to improve arm stroke propulsion.
While these prior devices do improve a swimmers speed, they tend to have low efficiency and are cumbersome, heavy. Conventional swim fins make walking when out of the water difficult. Webbed gloves and the like make grasping and manipulating tools and the like very difficult. Thus, there is a continuing need for improvements in such swimming aids for use by general recreational swimmers, scuba divers, surfers and the like.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a swimming aid that can be secured to a swimmer""s arms and/or legs to greatly improve the propulsive effects of conventional arm strokes and leg kicks. Another object of this invention is to provide a simple, light weight and efficient swimming aid. A further object of this invention is to provide a swimming aid that is easily secured to, and released from, a swimmer""s arms and/or legs. Still another object of this invention is to provide a swimming aid that is easily adjusted for maximum efficiency with swimmers of widely varying skill and strength. Yet a further object of this invention is to provide swimming aids that do not interfere with walking when out of the water or with grasping tools and the like.
The above-noted objects, and others, are accomplished in accordance with this invention by a movable fin swimming aid that comprises a support panel that fits over a portion of the front surface of a limb, typically the forearm, upper arm, calf or thigh, a pair of movable fins pivotally secured to the support panel near the center thereof and lying approximately parallel to the limb and a strap for flexibly securing the fins and supports together and the resulting assembly to a limb.
Any suitable material may be used for the support panel, fins and strap. The support panel should fit the limb or have some flexibility to accommodate to limbs of different circumference or shape. Typically, the support panel may be formed from Nylon or a flexible, rubber-like material. The movable fins preferably are formed from a material having sufficient stiffness to avoid excessive bending during the power stroke. Typically, the fins may be formed from a polycarbonate resin, with the thickness selected to provide the desired degree of stiffness. The securing strap preferably is formed from woven polypropylene or Nylon for maximum flexibility and strength.
Strap ends may be secured together by any suitable adjustable fastening means. Conventional buckles may be used, with the type that includes a receiver and an insert that snaps into the receiver and is removed by transversely squeezing the insert being preferred. Also preferred is hook-and-loop material such as that available under the VELCRO(copyright) trademark.
The assembly may have any suitable length along a limb. Generally, those to be used on the arms will be shorter than those to be used on the legs. Of course, a shorter assembly could be used on either the arms or legs.
This movable fin swimming aid will greatly increase swimming efficiency and speed. This increase will especially benefit life guards at ocean beaches, large lake beaches or rivers. Long distance swimmers, Scuba divers, surfers, Navy Seals and others who need to swim distances as quickly as possible will also benefit as will those engaged in water aerobics.